ALBION COMPLETE AMAZING SOUTHERN RISE

26 June 2017

Albion will join Southampton and Bournemouth in the Premier League next season.

Kieran Cleeves

Brighton & Hove Albion came up against AFC Bournemouth and Southampton during their 2010/11 League One-winning season at the Withdean - and now six years on, the trio will be competing in the Premier League, this time at the Amex.

The Cherries had recently been promoted to the third tier of English football when they arrived at Withdean in October 2010, while Southampton were hot favourites to return to the Championship after being relegated in 2009.

The Seagulls were rejuvenated under the management of Gus Poyet, who had got his Albion career off to a flyer with a 3-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s midway through the previous season.

All three teams performed well throughout the 2010/11 season to secure a top-six finish, however Bournemouth had to settle for a play-off spot, while Albion beat their promoted Hampshire rivals to the League One title.

The Cherries went on to lose in the play-off semi-finals, as their chance of reaching the second tier alongside the Seagulls and Saints disappeared.

Nigel Adkins led Southampton into the Premier League at the first time of asking the following season, which left the three teams in separate divisions for the 2012/13 campaign.

Albion were reunited with the Cherries the following season, as Eddie Howe guided them into the second tier of English football for the first time since 1990.

The Seagulls showed their ambition to reach the Premier League - reaching the play-offs in both 2013 and 2014 - but Bournemouth remarkably won the Championship title in 2015 to join the Saints in the top flight.

Chris Hughton rescued Albion from heading back to League One that same season, before agonisingly missing out on promotion the following campaign, as the Seagulls drew on the final day against Middlesbrough before losing to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs.

But, after two seasons without a south coast derby, Albion secured their spot in the Premier League with an outstanding display last season, and now look forward to taking on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday 16th September, before welcoming the Cherries to the Amex on New Year’s Day.*

The Saints travel to the Amex on Saturday 28th October, with the reverse fixture taking place under the floodlights at St Mary’s on Wednesday 31st January.*